Belt Hatchet

2-W-Axe-104

$114.00

Belt Hatchet

Wetterling's smallest hatchet can be used for cutting, like a big knife, and for chopping small stuff. The blade’s wedge shape behind the cutting edge makes this small axe superior for splitting. Compact and light weight for wearing on your belt in the woods. Handy in the kitchen, at the office and everywhere in between.

Overall length 10"

Blade width 2-1/2"

1.2 pounds

Leather sheath included

Centuries of Steel making and forging have made Swedish
steel and axes world famous. Wetterlings, the oldest
existing axe forge in Sweden, now under new ownership,
offers the best, hand forged and fit with oil finished
American hickory handles. Natural, unpainted, finish
shows the quality of the forging. We are pleased to offer
these fine axes to our customers. Hardened and tempered
to Rockwell 56-58, razor sharp.

Chopping:

Hold the handle in both hands, one hand
further up the handle as you raise the axe. As you swing
the axe, let the hand slide down the handle. When
removing small branches from a log (limbing), always
make sure the log is between yourself and the branch you
are chopping off.

Splitting:

Always use a chopping-block when splitting
logs. Aim for the middle of the piece of wood. Bend
your knees and hit the log at the right angle so as not to
hit yourself if you miss. To save your strength, let the
cutting edge of the axe and the weight of the axe head do
the work. If there is a knot in the log, try aiming for the
middle of the knot.

Splitting with a Wedge:

Using a wedge is a very effective
way to split logs, particularly knotty birch, oak, or blocks
of spruce. Only use a splitting maul or sledge hammer
when splitting logs with a wedge. Never use an axe as
a wedge or sledgehammer unless it is designed to be so
used. Serious injury can result from small slivers of metal
flying off an improperly used axe.

Sharpening Your Axe:

Keep your axe sharp. Grind it
regularly. Use a diamond hone or water cooled grindstone.
Be careful to wet the grindstone – dry grinding will
damage the cutting edge. The cutting edge must not
become hotter than 430º F (220ºC), since steel loses its
tempering (hardness) above this temperature. Never use
a grinding wheel or file. A file will always leave grooves
that can increase the risk of breakage in the steel.

Maintenance:

To avoid rust you should occasionally oil or
grease the axe head. Keep your axe in a dry place, but not
too dry and warm as the wooden handle could shrink and
become brittle and gaps might appear in the fitting between
the handle and the axe eye.
Warming your Axe:

At very low temperatures steel
becomes brittle. In cold weather, warm your axe before
using (but not over an open fire). Or, as written in our care
instructions in 1947“The axe should be warmed in the winter,
preferable with the woodcutter’s own body heat.”